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In her Italian Christmas Eve segment, Lidia takes viewers on adelicious holiday adventure beginning in New York City, where she prepares a traditional Italian Christmas Eve La Vigilia — feast of the seven fishes — with actor Stanley Tucci (Julie and Julia, Big Night). But first, actor Mo Rocca (Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me!) accompanies Lidia on an unforgettable shopping trip to a fish market on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. “Cooking and food is about more than sustenance,” says Rocca. “The sacredness of family and friends eating together is something that crosses all lines. It may be the only thing that crosses all lines.”

It’s a sentiment repeated throughout Lidia Celebrates America. From New York City to San Antonio to San Francisco, Lidia listens as multiple generations of Americans explain the importance of food in preserving cultural traditions and the overall holiday experience.